The Best Gift
by Cairn Destop
Summary: This is a Redwall winter holiday story that is much like ours. Or is it?


The door opened and two badgers stepped into the deserted hallway. Bruno had dressed in trousers and a thick robe that held the winter chill at bay. His mate, the Badgermom of Redwall, followed. Her modest white dress made her seem more a spirit than flesh and blood in the soft glow of the passageway lanterns.

At a closed storeroom door, the two badgers checked the area. Satisfied nobody followed them; Bruno removed a key and unlocked the door. He stood aside, allowing his mate to pass inside first. After entering the room, he locked the closed door. He leaned back and expelled his breath in a deep sigh.

"I swear I thought those youngsters would never fall asleep. Are they always like this Tassel?"

"It's the Winter Festival, Bruno. Tomorrow is Dibbun Day and the children know there will be lots of treats and gifts."

Bruno stacked the presents onto a dolly cart while Tassel moved towards the window. She flipped the latch, pushed the shutter open and leaned onto the windowsill. Whatever heat the room held disappeared, but Tassel did not react to the growing cold. A light snort from his mate told Bruno something bothered her. With a loving paw, he rubbed her shoulder. He waited.

"When I first came to Redwall, the snows blew like this. It brings back so many bad memories for me."

"Tassel, that was in the distant past, before we met."

Bruno nibbled on his mate's ear, which made her giggle. His head rested on her shoulder as he gazed into the howling winter storm. The storm battered the Abbey wall and it did not bother him. While he stood next to the sow he loved, the chilly room stayed endurable.

"You must have some good winter memories, Tassel. Tell me you don't enjoy watching those little beasties we care for romping and playing. I still remember the fun you had last week after that heavy snowstorm."

Bruno remembered that day. All the Abbey children had formed two armies and the snowballs flew with greater vigor whenever some elder had to cross the open area. Even the Father Abbot had to dodge the bombardment from the children.

Then his mate left the Abbey on some chore. As she walked across the battlefield, heads popped up on both sides. Not one dibbun fired a snowball in her direction. Bruno missed seeing which child had the courage to launch a snowy assault. That first snowball struck the Badgermom in the middle of her back.

Whiling about, Tassel snarled in a voice that made the winter day even colder. "I will have the name of the child that dared to strike an elder and I will have it now."

From one side, three children rose, each looking at the masked female and their two companions. Another two showed themselves on the opposite side of the open field. A quick pace placed the sow badger near the center of the play area. Reaching down, Tassel formed her own snowball and with a well-aimed throw, struck one child in the chest.

"Two can play at this game." She reached down forming another icy projectile.

A dozen children behind the badger hurled snowballs at Tassel. For the next ten minutes, she spun about and threw snowballs at any child that remained exposed to her marksmanship. She played no favorites. She would hit both the orphans she cared for as well as the children residing at the Abbey.

Bruno laughed as he watched the children pummeled her at the rate of ten to one until she surrendered. That confused all the youngsters. None had any idea what they should do with their prisoner. Tassel's gravelly voice overpowered the confusing babble of the Abbey's winter warriors.

"What say we raid the kitchen for whatever cakes are sitting on the cooling racks?"

Such pleasant memories of that day's events evaporated when Bruno felt his wife's back. He gave his mate a gentle push with his hip and poked his head out the window. At first, the swirling snow blinded him, but then the weather cleared. A downward glance revealed a brown form lifting itself, staggering into the storm's fury with the help of a branch used as a crutch. Bruno guessed the intensity of the snowstorm might have hidden the outer walls of the Abbey from the unknown beast.

"We cannot let that traveler continue on his journey, Bruno; not in this storm. You have to go out there and rescue him while I awaken the Healer."

xxxx

As she awaited her mate's return, Tassel paced the Healer's room. When Bruno turned the doorknob, it still startled her. Her mate stood in the doorway, sopping wet and coated in a heavy layer of snow. He held a small bundle that he kept against his chest. Tassel moved quickly away from the door.

"Bring him inside. I'll help him out of those wet clothes while you go back for some dry garments."

"Looks like your 'him' turned out to be a female ferret."

Both badgers moved aside as the Healer examined the ill child. Bruno's face displayed a worried look. Tassel's paced the room, wringing her paws. The tension grew even deeper when the Healer approached them with a dour expression.

"I'm sorry, Badgermom, there's nothing I can do for the child. She suffered too many injuries. Her leg has turned to gangrene and poisoned her blood. I gave her the strongest painkiller I have, which is all I can do for her. Don't worry; her journey to DarkForest will be peaceful."

Tassel's chin dipped until it touched her dress. Moments passed before she lifted her muzzle. "How long does she have, Healer?"

"She has two, maybe three hours, no more than that."

Tassel tried holding back the tears as she faced her husband. "The morning bell has rung and I bet those youngsters are wide awake. Bruno, see that the gifts are distributed and tell them . . . tell them I will join them later. I don't want to ruin their holiday with sad news."

"When I married you, I knew there would be times when your duties as Badgermom would come first." Bruno turned for the door but his mate's paw snagged his wrist.

"I wanted our first Winter Festival as husband and wife to be something special, not like this."

Bruno chuckled. "Not to worry, Pa Badger will see to the children. You do what you must."

Tassel hummed soft lullabies, and with a gentle motion, stroked the ferret's fur. It startled the badger when the girl bolted upright. Such was the violence of her motion that the blankets shifted off her and onto the floor. The ferret's eyes darted about the room until they focused on her. After collapsing once again onto the bed, the ferret turned her head towards Tassel.

"Why the mask woodlander; are you afraid I will identify you?"

She sensed this child needed an honest answer. "My face is marred and many consider it repulsive. I keep it hidden for the sake of visitors like you." With a gentle voice that enticed, Tassel spoke to the child. "Mind telling me what happened?"

The ferret stared up at the ceiling. "Those mice and squirrels from our village blamed us for everything that went wrong. They would not let us live in peace. When the crops failed, they called us demons and attacked our home. They killed my parents and almost killed me. You cannot imagine what such hatred can do."

The child's voice held so much venom when she spoke of her harrowing escape. "We were honorable creatures who never cheated anyone. We wanted their acceptance, maybe even their friendship. Is that too much to ask?" She stared at Tassel, challenging her for some denial.

A tense, prolonged silence continued when Tassel did not respond. At that moment, she heard the door burst open. A beast approached from behind and placed his paws over her eyes.

"Guess who?"

"Not now, Flashfoot. I'm doing something more important than playing guessing games."

The grey squirrel removed his paws from her eyes and moved to her side. He looked around the room, and for the first time, noticed the girl lying on the hospital bed. He moved closer to the ferret and reached out his paw. His fingers stroked her fur with a gentle caress, avoiding her visible injuries. He introduced himself.

"My name is Tranquility." Just those few words seemed to drain the ferret of her last reserve of strength and she flopped back onto her pillow.

Flashfoot turned towards the Badgermom, asking if Tranquility would be staying with them. She nodded and the squirrel smiled at the girl. Never had Tassel seen Flashfoot with such an expectant expression.

"When she gets well, can she sleep in the bunk next to me? I'll show her everything at the Abbey. I can help her. Please?"

Tranquility called out to the squirrel, her whispered voice loud in the silent room. "No squirrel has ever offered me such a greeting. So tell me, why are you so friendly to one that your kind has labeled as an enemy?"

"You look like you need a friend and I want to be that friend," Flashfoot said.

She motioned the squirrel closer. When he drew near, she moved with the speed of an adder. Before the boy could react, she kissed him on the muzzle, thanked him, and then her spirit began its journey to DarkForest.

As the Badgermom draped the sheet over the girl's lifeless body, she saw how bitterly the boy cried. Tassel gave him a gentle squeeze on his shoulder as she led him from the room. Downstairs, they could hear the sound of merriment as everyone celebrated the Winter Festival. Flashfoot continued sobbing as he followed Tassel.

"Badgermom, I wish Tranquility could have joined us down there. It doesn't seem fair that she never got a gift."

Tassel sat on the stairs so her masked face came level with the young squirrel. She held out her arms and the two remained in each other's embrace. When the boy had finished crying himself out, she held him close as she carried him down the stairs. Tassel kissed the squirrel's head just before they entered the room where all the joyous shouting and revelry could be experienced.

"Actually, she got the best gift of all, and it came from your heart."


End file.
